Monthly Archives: September 1983

Comments Off on Wong Shun Leung: A Wing Chun Phenomenon
Posted by Wooden Dummy on September 8, 1983

“Self-defence is only an illusion, a dark cloak beneath which lurks a razor-sharp dagger waiting to be plunged into the first unwary victim. “Whoever declares that any weapon manufactured today, whether it be a nuclear missile or a .33 special, is created for self-defence should look a little more closely at his own image in the mirror. Either he is a liar or is deceiving himself.

“Wing Chun Kung Fu is a very sophisticated weapon; nothing else. It is a science of combat, the intent of which is the total incapacitation of an opponent. It is straightforward, efficient and deadly. If you’re looking to learn self-defence, don’t study wing chun. It would be better for you to master the art of invisibility.” — Wong Shun Leung

Rather peculiar words, you might say, coming from an individual who’d spent over 30 years of his life teaching kung fu; yet somehow there’s a rather uncanny philosophical depth to the man who actually instructed Bruce Lee in wing chun and inspired William Cheung to enter Yip Man’s school at the age of 13. Wong Shun Leung, the most senior phenomenon in wing chun today, earned his rank and title where it really counts – in the streets. Now, at 48 years of age, he’s still far from being a pacifist. With a series of jagged scars along his knuckles and a piercing glare in his eyes, he gives the distinct impression that he’s already witnessed a fair share of human folly and its consequences. With the wisdom of a veteran, he guided us through a period in Hong Kong’s recent past where fame flew like the wind before a fist as wing chun became a household word.